FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Matt Hall, +1.314.513.7548 Kimberly Kendle, +1.314.513.7552
THE 22nd ANNUAL SARA LEE IRONKIDS TRIATHLON SERIES FOR CHILDREN VISITS SIX CITIES BEGINNING JULY 9
DOWNERS GROVE, Ill. (June 28, 2006) – Get out the swim suits, sneakers and bicycles. The 2006 Sara Lee IronKids Triathlon Series, the nation’s pre-eminent triathlon events for children, is coming to a city near you.
Children of all skill levels can participate in the triathlon where “every finisher is a winner.” This year’s series, which has age-appropriate distances for swimming, biking and running, starts in Atlanta on Sunday, July 9, and concludes with the National Championship in Phoenix on Oct. 1. In addition to Atlanta and Phoenix, the six-city series will visit Denver on July 30; Dallas on Aug. 20; San Francisco Bay area on Sept. 3; and Kansas City on Sept. 17.
The Atlanta area race starts at 8 a.m. at Wills Park Recreation Center, 11925 Wills Road, Alpharetta, Ga. Complete registration information can be found on the Sara Lee IronKids Web site at www.ironkids.com or toll free at (888) 796-2576.
The age-appropriate Sara Lee IronKids Triathlon race distances, by age and race segment, are:
Ages 7-10 Ages 11-14
Swim: 100 meters Swim: 200 meters
Bike: 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) Bike: 10 kilometers (6.2 miles)
Run: 1 kilometer (0.6 mile) Run: 2 kilometers (1.2 miles)
The Sara Lee IronKids Triathlon series is sponsored by Sara Lee Food & Beverage, makers of leading nutritious breads for children, including *Sara Lee *Soft & Smooth Made with Whole Grain White Bread and IronKids Special-Recipe Bread, a white bread that has all the taste and texture of white bread with all the fiber of whole-wheat bread and added calcium.
“We believe the triathlon is a great motivator to encourage kids to stay active and eat healthy throughout the year,” said Dr. Frances Coletta, Ph.D, R.D., director of product nutrition, Sara Lee Food & Beverage. “Proper diet is an important part of successful training. Bread products are a great source of complex carbohydrates for young athletes, which provide the body’s most important fuel for energetic lifestyles.”
Begun in 1985, the Sara Lee IronKids Triathlon series encourages physical activity among youth ages 7-14 through a fun-filled, all-day sporting event of swimming, biking and running that the entire family can enjoy. The triathlon attracts hundreds of families each year, and leaves lasting impressions of health, camaraderie, friendship and a sense of accomplishment. Famous former Sara Lee IronKids participants include Lance Armstrong, a seven-time Tour de France champion; Hunter Kemper, the No. 1-ranked male triathlete in the United States in 2004; and Sara McLarty, a professional triathlete, winner of the 2005 USA Swimming National Championship and a 2008 Olympic hopeful.
“The Sara Lee IronKids Triathlon Series is especially sentimental to me because my involvement in the race as a kid is one of the reasons I’m still competing today,” McLarty said. “It’s a great opportunity to introduce the growing sport of triathlon to kids. While I volunteer my time at numerous events throughout the year, the Sara Lee IronKids Triathlon Series has a unique ability to highlight the importance of a healthy lifestyle directly to children when they are eager to learn.”****
Youth who want to participate can enter as individuals or as members of a team. Members of a team compete in the relay division, which includes categories for male, female and co-ed teams.
Race details by location are: Denver, 8 a.m. Sunday, July 30, at the City of Louisville Recreation and Senior Services Center; Dallas, 8 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 20, at Don Rodenbaugh Natatorium, Allen, Texas; San Francisco Bay area, 8 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 3, at Napa Valley College and JFK Park, Napa, Calif.; Kansas City, 8 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 17, at the Lawrence Indoor Aquatic Center, Lawrence, Kan.; and Phoenix, 8 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 1, at the Kiwanis Recreation Center, Tempe, Ariz.
The entry fee for each individual race is $25, plus two proofs of purchase of *Sara Lee *Made with Whole Grain White Bread, Sara Lee Classic White Bread, Sara Lee Honey Wheat Bread or IronKids Special-Recipe Bread. The entry fee for relay teams is $45, plus six proofs of purchase. Participants may register by mail or online via the IronKids Web site. On-site registration will also be available the day before the event.
About Sara Lee Breads
Sara Lee is the best-selling bakery brand in the fresh bread aisle. *Sara Lee’s *innovative portfolio of fresh breads, buns, bagels and English muffins are baked to meet a wide variety of preferences and sensibilities – without sacrificing taste. Sara Lee bread products include a number of products made with a blend of whole-grain flour and enriched white flour that have the taste and texture of white bread but offer whole-grain nutrition. They include Sara Lee Soft & Smooth Made with Whole Grain White Bread, the No. 1 selling loaf of bread in America, Sara Lee Made with Whole Grain White Hot Dog and Hamburger Buns; Sara Lee Made With Whole Grain Plain Bagels and Original English Muffins, and Sara Lee breakfast breads.
**About Sara Lee Food & Beverage **
Sara Lee Food & Beverage is the North American retail food division of Sara Lee Corporation (NYSE:SLE). Based in Downers Grove, Ill., Sara Lee Food & Beverage develops and markets many of the world’s favorite high-quality baked goods, packaged meats and coffee. Leading brands and products include Sara Lee fresh breads, frozen desserts and deli meats, Hillshire Farm lunch meats, Jimmy Dean sausage and breakfast foods, Ball Park franks and the Senseo single-serve premium coffee system.